Colin Doyle, chair of public safety for the City of Portage la Prairie, presented the quarterly RCMP report to council Monday night, emphasizing concerns over impaired driving and staffing challenges.
“Nine too many” impaired drivers flagged
Doyle notes nine impaired driving charges were issued last quarter, calling the figure unacceptable.
“There is no reason at all for anyone to be drinking and driving,” he says. “Those are just the ones who were caught. I would like to see that number be zero.”
CSO vacancies set to shrink with new hires
Three community safety officer (CSO) positions are currently vacant, though Doyle adds two new hires will begin training in May.
“We’re down to three [CSOs] at the moment,” he continues. “Council approved hiring two new positions in the 2025 budget, and we have three recruits heading to training early next month.”
Expanded evening and weekend patrol hours are also anticipated as staffing grows.
RCMP vacancies remain recruitment hurdle
Doyle acknowledges ongoing RCMP vacancies but defers comment on federal recruitment efforts.
“It’s pure hard vacancies—they just cannot recruit enough people,” he says. While new RCMP recruits are expected in Portage la Prairie, Doyle stresses the city has limited influence over federal hiring.
Traffic violations dip as summer begins
Brad Bailey, director of public safety, highlights declining RCMP call volumes in most categories, particularly traffic infractions.
“Overall, numbers appear to be down,” Bailey says. “Traffic violations dropped quite a bit. With warm weather, more people are out on streets, so it’s good to see vehicles following road rules.”
He adds the trend reflects community efforts to prioritize safety during busier summer months.